Writer: Blair Fannin (979) 845-2259,b-fannin@tamu.edu
Contact: Travis Miller, (979) 845-0884,td-miller@tamu.edu
Roland Smith, (979) 845-1751,rdsmith@tamu.edu
COLLEGE STATION – Agricultural losses in Texas caused by drought have exceeded $1 billion, the Texas Agricultural Extension Service reported Wednesday, after factoring in losses to the state’s fall harvested crops of cotton, corn, sorghum and added expenses incurred by ranchers to early feed and water livestock.
For the year, direct drought losses have cost Texas agricultural producers $1.096 billion, Extension economists said, with cotton the hardest hit commodity. Estimated cotton losses have reached $485 million as extreme heat and dry conditions devastated dryland cotton and declined growing potential of irrigated cotton through August and September.
In mid-August, cotton losses were estimated at $285 million, but another $200 million was added Wednesday, according to Carl Anderson, Extension cotton marketing specialist. Dryland cotton planted throughout the central and western areas of the state couldn’t withstand another round of record-breaking temperatures and lack of rainfall through both August and September. The rainfall in the Rolling Plains region for the 90 days starting July 1 was only 9 percent of normal. The Lubbock area did not fare much better with just 27 percent of normal rainfall during July to September.
Dryland acreage that was harvested resulted in extremely low yields or yielded low-quality cotton, Extension officials said.
Other estimated agricultural losses so far this year include:
– Grain sorghum: $62 million
– Corn: $34 million.
– Wheat: $153 million
– Added irrigation costs: $47 million
-Wheat grazing: $30 million.
-Forage crops: $124 million.
-Other crops: $56 million
-Added feed/water cost: $105 million.
Travis Miller, an Extension agronomist, said rainfall this week is welcomed but is short of replenishing available stored moisture for crops and rangeland.
“We’ve got a ways to go as far as filling soil profiles,” Miller said. According to NOAA’s Climate Prediction Center, it would take 9-12 inches of rain to replenish soil profiles in the major central part of the state to end the drought.
Nevertheless, Miller said, recent rainfall throughout certain areas of Texas will help with planting of small grain and vegetable crops.
“The rains were timely as far as planting wheat,” Miller said. “In most places, there’s still plenty of time to plant a crop for grain, but I don’t think we’ll get much forage out of it. In the Northern Plains, between Oct. 1 and Oct. 10 is the optimum time to plant grain crops.
“But you can still make a good grain crop this late. The optimum time for Central Texas is the first two weeks of November for wheat planting as far as grain production. We’ve just lost a lot of opportunity for grazing (because of dry conditions that continued into the fall months),” Miller said. Plus, since the soil profile is still short, timely rains must continue to provide the opportunity for improved wheat production next year. Rain is forcasted for parts of the state near the end of the weekend.
Drought conditions have hampered Texas agricultural production four out of the past five years. The 1996 drought resulted in $2 billion in producer losses, while the 1998 drought led to $2.1 billion in producer losses. The 1999 drought resulted in $223 million in producer losses.